Level: NO-3
Location: Cameroon
Categories: Child Protection, Programme Management

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Protection!

UNICEF has been working in Cameroon since 1975 to allow women and children to fully realize their rights to development without restriction, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF provides financial and technical support to Cameroon across seven areas to fully realize the rights of women and children. These areas include Health, HIV/AIDS, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, nutrition, education, child protection, and social inclusion. UNICEF focuses mainly on children and the most vulnerable and excluded families. The population is young and generates strong socioeconomic demand. In rural areas, limited access to basic social services and the effects of climate change led to household impoverishment and severe child deprivation. The task is immense but not insurmountable; it requires the energy of all stakeholders in Cameroon and beyond. Everyone is invited to participate in the struggle to meet the challenges ahead. Together, we will act for Cameroon, a country that summarizes the challenges and hopes of Africa.
To learn more about UNICEF Cameroon, use the link below link

https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/CMR/SitePages/AboutUs.aspx

How can you make a difference?

Under the leadership of the Cameroon CO Representative, the Programme Specialist – Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) will be responsible for designing, implementing, coordinating and supporting the implementation of the UNICEF Cameroon Country Office PSEA Action Plans and strengthening inter-agency PSEA mechanisms. This includes oversight of PSEA reporting, community awareness, mainstreaming PSEA into programmes, managing SEA risks in partnerships (IP PSEA capacity assessments) and in the engagement of external suppliers/vendors, conducting field monitoring, and providing technical support to government and NGO partners, including capacity building activities. The Programme Specialist will provide dedicated capacity to support section colleagues and partners in all four field offices to ensure PSEA is mainstreamed across UNICEF’s programmes, both humanitarian and development. All activities will align with UNICEF’s PSEA Strategy and the new Policy on Safeguarding to ensure a survivor-centered, risk-informed, and accountable approach.

You will be accountable for programme planning, design, implementation and administration of specific projects within a major programme, in accordance with the Country Programme Recommendation and Country Programme Management Plan, focusing on achievement of UNICEF’s priorities.
1. Effective knowledge management and systems developed and utilized to strengthen area/country programme management.
2. Situation Analysis prepared/updated, critical programme intervention points/measures identified, and programme work plans/recommendations/reports prepared.
3. Programme funds optimally used.
4. Programme monitoring and evaluations effectively conducted to improve programme performance, and programme status report timely prepared. Gender/sex disaggregated data and inputs relevant to country programme provided as integral part of programming.
5. Rights based and results-based programming approach fully incorporated into all phases of programme and projects processes.
6. Commitment and institutional capacities of the national and local partners effectively gained and established.
7. Rights perspective and advocacy at the national, community and family levels incorporated in policy analysis for establishing and elevating UNICEF’s credibility in national and international policy debates.
8. Effective partnership and collaboration achieved and maintained for advocacy, technical cooperation, programme development/management/coordination, information sharing and networking.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File JD Programme Specialist PSEA.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Social Sciences, International Relations, Government, Public Administration, Public Policy, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, human rights, Social work, public health, CPiE/GBViE, or another relevant technical field. *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
Work Experience: A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional and progressive experience in Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) is required.

Language Requirements: Fluency in French and good knowledge of English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese,French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
Desirables:

Work experience on Child Protection and/or Gender-Based Violence is desirable.
Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
Background/familiarity with emergency is considered as an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (1)
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(1)
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact (1)
(4) Innovates and embraces change (1) 

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (1) 

(6) Thinks and acts strategically (1) 

(7) Works collaboratively with others (1)

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable Female and candidates with disability are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

All applications must be submitted ONLINE at : https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/filter/?search-keyword=&location=cameroon

Deadline: 25 Jan 2026 W. Central Africa Standard Time